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EDWARDS - For the ladies of Cordillera, rallying for breast cancer isn't a new thing. They have been putting on Cordillera's Pad the Bra for nine years now. Pad the Bra, held at the home of Craig Foley this year, auctioned off home rentals, a ski day with an Olympian, a week in Bali, golf lessons, a zipline party and more, raising $45,000 for Shaw Regional Cancer Center.

"We have all been touched by family and friends with breast cancer and we continue the fight in their honor," said Pad the Bra co-founder Margie Kyte.

When the ladies of Cordillera arrived, they were donning pink in many forms. Some wore their favorite pink clothes or pink bras over their shirts and most wore pink boas and pink beads. Breast cancer survivors are given a pink ribbon necklace and everyone enjoyed pink cosmos, served in pink glasses.

After the ladies checked in and received their beads and boas, most made their way into the extensive silent auction. An array of clothing, dinner parties and gift certificates as well as vacations, both domestic and international, filled three rooms of the house. Bidding continued throughout but midway through the event, Doris Kirchner, president and CEO of VVMC, welcomed and thanked the ladies before Dr. Patricia Hardenbergh, medical oncologist from Shaw Regional Cancer Center, explained how the money raised would benefit patients at Shaw.

In fact, the $45,000 raised at the 2012 Pad the Bra will go toward the purchase and installation of an image guided linear accelerator. The new linear accelerator will replace the current one and will increase the medical team's ability to more efficiently locate tumors before radiation is given to cancerous tissue. The goal of radiation is to damage the cancer cells beyond repair while minimizing damage to normal, healthy cells. The new machine decreases the set-up and improves the delivery of treatment to enhance patient care at Shaw.

"As cancer treatment evolves, so does Shaw Regional Cancer Center," said Peggy Carey, vice president of oncology at Shaw. "We continually take steps to make sure the patients at Shaw are getting the best treatment possible and the new linear accelerator is a prime example of that."

This year's event, coordinated by the Shaw Outreach Team's Lissa Tyler and Margie Kyte, was held at the beautiful Cordillera home of Craig Foley. Foley was the first man to host the event in the nine years but he certainly wasn't the first man to ever attend. Dr. Reg Franciose has been seen in attendance; each year Bart Seigler manages the cosmo bar; Paul Wertin designs a beautiful ice sculpture; and photographer Mort Mulliken photographs the pink party.

"This is a great event for a great cause. As a cancer survivor, I know what it means to have the best and most advanced technology possible," said Joyce Nielsen, Shaw Outreach Team co-chair. "I'm committed to helping provide that technology and can't thank everyone involved in this event enough for their generosity."

Shaw Regional Cancer Center has served the cancer diagnosis and treatment needs to Eagle County and the surrounding areas for more than 10 years. The cancer center was made possible by the generous donation of Hal and Mary Louise Shaw.